Uganda, 1993

I wish, on behalf of the

Uganda delegation, to join those representatives who have

already congratulated Mr. Insanally of Guyana on his well-

deserved election to the presidency of the United Nations

General Assembly at its forty-eighth session. His election to

this high office is a tribute to his personal qualities and also

an honour to Guyana, with which Uganda enjoys warm and

friendly relations. Given his wide experience, and especially

his intimate knowledge of the United Nations, I am

confident that he will successfully guide its deliberations

during the session. In this effort, he can count on Uganda’s

cooperation and support.

I wish also to express the appreciation of my delegation

to Mr. Insanally’s predecessor, Mr. Stoyan Ganev of

Bulgaria, who presided with distinction at the forty-seventh

session.

Our appreciation goes, equally, to the distinguished

Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who has

provided dynamic and courageous leadership to our

Organization. He has come to grips with one of the biggest

Forty-eighth session - 7 October l993 29

challenges to the international community - conflict

resolution - and his incisive reports are an inspiration to us

all.

It is with happiness that, on behalf of the people and

Government of Uganda, I express a warm welcome to the

Czech Republic, Slovakia, Eritrea, the Former Yugoslav

Republic of Macedonia, Monaco and Andorra as new

Members of the United Nations. We look forward to

working closely with them in our common efforts to fulfil

the objectives and achieve the goals of the Organization.

Allow me to convey to the people and Government of

India Uganda’s profound sympathy and solidarity following

the tragic earthquake that struck that country last week,

causing enormous destruction and massive loss of life.

The dramatic end of the cold war created a wave of

optimism. The ideological rivalry and the attendant

confrontation between the major Powers yielded to

understanding and cooperation, and the nightmare of the

nuclear annihilation of the world receded - even if, in our

minds, it was not totally eliminated. We believe that we are

witnessing the dawn of a new era that promises the

beginning of a new order based on peace, justice and equity

- as envisaged in the United Nations Charter - both within

and between nations. Whether we can succeed in attaining

that lofty goal is one of the challenges of our time.

However, the events of the last few years have

tempered this sense of optimism. We see contradictory

developments - some positive and others negative. On the

one hand, there are positive developments in disarmament,

the resolution of conflicts, and the emergence of democratic

governance in many countries. But, on the other hand, we

have witnessed the dangers of ethnic and religious

intolerance, which have generated centrifugal forces in many

parts of the world, often with debilitating tolls in human life,

suffering and the destruction of property. I wish to caution

against the danger of making purely ethnic and religious

considerations the basis for forging a modern State. The

challenge is to find democratic solutions for peaceful and

equitable coexistence in a heterogeneous society.

The divide between North and South, reflecting

affluence on the one hand and widespread poverty and

deprivation on the other, is widening. The same division

between the haves and the have-nots is reflected within

many nations. Clearly, the deterioration of economic

conditions in developing countries, if not adequately

addressed, can only lead to despair and frustration. In the

long run, such developments will pose a danger to

international peace and security. The international

community should keep at the top of its agenda the urgent

task of ensuring that the positive changes ushered in by the

demise of the cold war equitably benefit all mankind. It is

incumbent upon us to encourage and promote the positive

trends while endeavouring to eliminate or minimize the

negative aspects. Marginalization of developing countries

cannot be in the interest of a better world. We should

muster the will to face the political, economic, ecological

and social challenges that stand in the way of the

emancipation of the developing countries.

At the last session of the General Assembly the

Secretary-General showed the way forward in his "An

Agenda for Peace", when he outlined his views on how the

United Nations should carry out its task of maintaining

international peace and security. He underscored the need

for an early warning system for crisis situations and the need

for timely preventive action, and he suggested peace-building

measures that need to be taken. Uganda supported, and

continues to support, the Secretary-General’s endeavour in

this area.

In our view, a critical pillar of conflict resolution, both

at the international and the regional level, is the political will

of the parties to the conflict and a commitment on their part

to translate that will into practical actions. Where that will

and commitment exist, solutions have been forthcoming,

even to what were perceived as intractable problems.

Another critical element in this regard is the capacity to

enforce solutions where agreements exist. When a group’s

major consideration is military victory, contrary to the

agreements reached, this may call for legitimate international

intervention. I have in mind, for example, a number of

agreements brokered between the parties by regional

organizations or the United Nations which have then been

deliberately scuttled for no legitimate reason. The situations

in Yugoslavia, Somalia, Liberia and Angola are vivid

reminders of the need for such a capacity. It is untenable

that the international community should fail to act while

senseless loss of life is perpetuated or chaos obtains in a

country, as was the case in Somalia and Liberia. As many

speakers have stated, sovereignty should not be used to hold

a population hostage. A capacity to intervene in such

situations should be in place. This is the question that we

should ponder in the course of our deliberations, with a view

to establishing parameters for such eventualities.

30 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

In our continent, Africa, the contradictory positive and

negative trends have also manifested themselves, both in the

political arena and the economic sphere. In southern Africa,

we are on the verge of achieving the goal the international

community has always sought, namely, dismantling apartheid

and putting in place a democratic and non-racial Government

in South Africa. Here we have an example of political will

and determination, and the capacity to translate that will into

reality.

Uganda welcomes the progress made in South Africa

and the decision to establish the Transitional Executive

Council (TEC), the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)

and the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA). These

are vital steps that should pave the way for free and fair

elections next April, which should lead to the establishment

of a transitional Government based on universal adult

suffrage. We salute Mr. Nelson Mandela and other leaders

of the liberation movements and President de Klerk for their

vision and statesmanship, which have made this progress

possible.

With regard to the call to lift sanctions against South

Africa in response to this progress, Uganda’s approach has

always been guided by the position of the people of South

Africa, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the

Commonwealth and the United Nations. We are therefore

supportive of the statement adopted on 29 September in New

York by the OAU Ad Hoc Committee on Southern Africa,

which recommends the lifting of all economic sanctions,

with the exception of those relating to the arms embargo and

nuclear matters, as recognition of the progress made thus far.

We also agree with the Ad Hoc Committee’s call for

vigilance until the Transitional Executive Council is

established and for the establishment of full diplomatic

relations following the installation of an elected interim

Government of national unity.

As regards Mozambique, Uganda welcomed the signing

of a peace accord between the Government of Mozambique

and RENAMO on 4 October 1992. We had hoped that by

now all obstacles to the implementation of the accord would

have been settled. Addressing the Assembly on 27

September, President Chissano, outlined the progress made

in the revival of the country’s economic and social activity

as a consequence of a cease-fire being effectively honoured.

The deployment of the United Nations Operation in

Mozambique (ONUMOZ) provides an atmosphere conducive

to implementing the provisions of the General Peace

Agreement. We commend the Government of Mozambique

for the flexibility and statesmanship they have demonstrated.

We call on RENAMO to reciprocate equally and to comply

with Security Council resolution 863 (1993), so that the

people of Mozambique can embark on the important task of

national reconstruction in an atmosphere of peace and

stability.

Uganda deeply regrets the resumption of hostilities in

Angola, which clearly has negative consequences for the

whole region. Remarkable progress had been made,

culminating in the United Nations-supervised elections last

year. Unfortunately, the hopes and aspirations of the people

were dashed by the resumption of hostilities which

interrupted the electoral process. The only way forward lies

in national reconciliation and the acceptance of the rules of

democratic governance. Uganda supports Security Council

resolution 864 (1993), the implementation of which would

pave way for a lasting solution. It is incumbent upon

UNITA to abide by this resolution.

In our own region Uganda welcomes the agreement

between the two parties, the Rwandese Government and the

Rwandese Patriotic Front, on a process of national

reconciliation and the installation of a broad-based

transitional government. Uganda, like other countries in the

region, is ready and willing to support the Rwandese people

in their endeavour to find a lasting settlement of their

problems. This would also help foster stability and

cooperation in our subregion. I wish to pay a tribute to

President Ali Hassan Mwinyi and the Government of the

United Republic of Tanzania, to the Organization of African

Unity, and to all those who have been helping the parties to

reach this accord.

The United Nations has a critical role to play in the

implementation of the Rwanda agreements. Both parties to

the conflict requested the United Nations to provide a neutral

force. We are happy to see that this request has received

positive consideration by the Security Council. The Council

has accepted the Secretary-General’s recommendation for the

establishment of a neutral force known as the United Nations

Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR). In the

meantime, Uganda has agreed to the deployment on the

Rwanda-Uganda border of the United Nations Observer

Mission Uganda-Rwanda (UNOMUR) - as part and parcel

of confidence-building measures - and stands ready to give

additional support as and when requested.

The conflict in southern Sudan continues to be of great

concern to, and a source of anguish for, us in Uganda. The

civil war has escalated rather than abated, resulting in loss

of life, increased refugee flows, and the displacement of the

population to neighbouring countries, Uganda included. We

urge the parties to the conflict to cooperate in support of

Forty-eighth session - 7 October l993 31

regional efforts designed to find a lasting solution. I wish

also to appeal to the international community to continue

providing humanitarian assistance and to be supportive of

negotiations for a peaceful settlement.

The situation in Somalia is a vivid example of both

natural and man-made disasters. Uganda welcomed the

decision of the Security Council in 1992 to provide

humanitarian assistance to the Somali people and to restore

order in Somalia. The United Nations operations helped to

end massive starvation and brought hope to the people of

Somalia. Uganda is also supportive of the second United

Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM II), whose

mandate is to provide an appropriate atmosphere for

continued humanitarian assistance and for reconstruction and

rehabilitation, and to facilitate an overall political settlement.

We were encouraged by the Addis Ababa agreement of

March this year whereby various Somali political forces

agreed upon a programme of disarmament and reconciliation.

It is sad that the situation in Somalia took a dramatic turn

for the worse with the killing of members of the United

Nations peace-keeping force. We regret the loss of life and

attacks on the peace-keeping force. I wish to express our

sincere condolences to the bereaved families and their

respective Governments. It remains our conviction that these

incidents, reprehensible as they are, should not lead the

United Nations to divert from, let alone abdicate, its

responsibilities towards the Somali people. Much has been

achieved. Normalcy has been restored to much of the

country, although chaos and armed resistance continue in a

number of areas, especially in and around Mogadishu, where

they imperil international efforts. We call on Somali

political leaders to cooperate with the Intergovernmental

Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD), the

Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the United

Nations in efforts aimed at achieving peace and

reconciliation and setting in motion transitional

arrangements, including the establishment of a broad-based

government. I wish to take this opportunity to commend

United Nations personnel, the countries which have provided

material and financial support, and the volunteers who have

risked their lives in this worthy cause.

As regards the situation in Liberia, Uganda supports the

initiative of the Economic Community of West African

States (ECOWAS) for the settlement of the crisis. We

welcomed the Cotonou Agreement signed on 25 July 1993,

which provides for a cease-fire and for the transitional

arrangement leading to elections early next year. The

ECOWAS Miliary Observer Group (ECOMOG) has clearly

been a stabilizing force in Liberia. That is why it has been

entrusted with the supervision and implementation of the

Cotonou Agreement. We look forward to the full

implementation of this accord.

All this provides an example of the matching of the

political will of the parties to the conflict to the capacity in

the region to implement the agreed settlement.

Equally, the Security Council decision to make it easier

for the United Nations to supplement regional efforts in the

search for agreements and in their implementation is most

welcome. Apart from enhancing the regional capacity for

peace-keeping, the Security Council decision helps to

engender confidence.

At the OAU Summit held in Cairo in July this year,

African States agreed to set up, within the OAU, a

mechanism for conflict resolution. The positive

developments in Liberia and Rwanda, where the OAU and

the pertinent leaders in the subregion have effectively

discharged this role, are indicative of the potentialities of the

regional mechanism.

In the Middle East, the mutual recognition between the

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel, together

with the agreements signed between them, constitute a

breakthrough of historic proportions. This is yet another

illustration of the dictum that where there is a will, vision

and statesmanship, a way forward will be found. This

development holds the promise for concord and cooperation

in the Middle East region as a whole. We welcome the

Declaration of Principles on Palestinian interim self-rule in

the occupied territories. These arrangements, which

envisage a five-year transition period, are an important step

towards a comprehensive and lasting settlement in

accordance with Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and

338 (1973). We commend Chairman Arafat and Prime

Minister Rabin for the courage and statesmanship they have

displayed. We encourage all of them to persevere in the

task ahead and on the journey they have begun. I wish also

to express Uganda’s appreciation to Norway, the United

States, the Russian Federation, and all those who were

instrumental in the reaching of this historic accord.

Three years have elapsed since the outbreak of the Gulf

crisis. We are glad that the sovereignty of Kuwait was

restored. It remains our hope that, with positive

developments elsewhere in the region, it will be possible for

the people in the Gulf to be reconciled and to solve the

outstanding problems so that harmony and cooperation can

be re-established. This requires, among other things,

32 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

compliance with Security Council resolutions relating to the

Gulf War settlement.

Uganda supports the efforts by the Secretary-General to

ensure an overall settlement of the Cyprus problem. Any

settlement, while taking into account the legitimate interests

of the parties, should safeguard the sovereignty, unity and

territorial integrity of Cyprus.

As regards the Korean peninsula, Uganda supports the

aspiration of the Korean people to peaceful reunification.

We encourage them to continue their dialogue towards this

objective.

In Cambodia we have just witnessed the fruitful

completion of the peace process in accordance with the Paris

Agreements. Under the auspices of the United Nations

Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) the

Cambodian people have been able to exercise their right to

vote and to decide on their own Government in the general

elections for a constituent assembly. We are happy to see

that a new democratic Constitution, with a constitutional

monarchy has been peacefully promulgated. I wish to

express the gratitude of the Uganda delegation to the

Secretary-General and the UNTAC personnel who, under the

able leadership of Mr. Yasushi Akashi, the Special

Representative of the Secretary-General, have contributed

towards a comprehensive settlement of the Cambodian

question. Our appreciation goes equally to Viet Nam,

France, Australia, China, the United States of America and

the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN),

which, at different stages, contributed to the peace process.

It is to us a matter of deep regret that in the former

Yugoslavia, instability, strife and war based on ethnic and

religious differences continue unabated. In pursuit of the

reprehensible notion of "ethnic cleansing", atrocities are

being committed. In spite of the grave situation, it has not

been possible for the Security Council and the international

community to act decisively to put an end to the agony and

suffering there. The injunctions of the Security Council

continue to be flouted with impunity. We reject and

condemn the notion of "ethnic cleansing". I wish, however,

to commend the United Nations Protection Force for the

efforts it has made under the most difficult of conditions.

On disarmament, Uganda is encouraged by the progress

achieved in the wake of the demise of the cold war. The

United States and the Russian Federation under START II

have significantly reduced their nuclear arsenals. We were

encouraged by the decision of the United States to extend

the moratorium on nuclear tests until 1994, by the

declaration of Russia not to resume testing even if others

did, and by France’s commitment not to be the first to

resume. In spite of the recent set-backs, we hope that this

moratorium will hold. Uganda, however, believes that a

comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty is the ultimate

solution. As a State party to the non-proliferation Treaty,

we shall continue to participate actively in the preparatory

process leading to the 1995 Review Conference. We support

the extension of the Treaty, subject to periodic reviews. We

shall also seek to remove the imbalances in the present

Treaty and to secure increased assistance for developing

countries in the area of the peaceful application of nuclear

energy.

We maintain that there exists an intrinsic relationship

between the disarmament process and development.

Developing countries paid a heavy price during the height of

the cold war as world attention was focused on acquiring

additional armaments under the doctrines of deterrence.

Many of them were trapped in civil conflict arising from

ideological wars. As the resources devoted to building

armaments are released in the disarmament process, these

should be applied for development both within and between

nations. Unfortunately, at the international level, we have

yet to see the peace dividend being channelled towards

assistance to developing countries.

At the national level, Uganda, after the restoration of

peace in the country, has now embarked on a process of

scaling down its army to a level which the economy can

sustain and which at the same time meets our legitimate

defence needs. This is a bold decision by the Government,

which, in the long run, should release resources for

development purposes. I wish here to express our

appreciation to those countries and organizations which have

agreed to assist us in the resettlement and integration of

demobilized soldiers within the civilian community.

This session is taking place in the aftermath of the

momentous World Conference on Human Rights that took

place in Vienna. That Conference reaffirmed the

commitment of the international community to try to secure

the full and universal enjoyment of human rights. We hope

that as a result there will be increased awareness in the

world of the importance of human rights and a determination

to build the requisite capacity at the national and local levels

to ensure their enforcement.

Linked with the human rights issue is the question of

democratic governance and the rule of law. Democratic

governance promotes human rights. In Uganda, as part of

the restoration of democratic civilian rule, the Constitutional

Forty-eighth session - 7 October l993 33

Commission has already produced a draft constitution. The

election of a Constituent Assembly, which is to deliberate

and agree on the Constitution, will be held in December this

year or early next year.

Whether in Africa or anywhere else, the

democratization process may be difficult, but it is an

essential ingredient for peace, stability, the rule of law, and

the full respect and enjoyment of human rights. This is

particularly urgent in developing countries, in Africa in

particular. They are essential aspects and conditions of the

development process. We must therefore bring our full

energies to bear so that the democratization process may

gain momentum.

One of the major objectives of the United Nations,

enshrined in the Charter, is the promotion of economic and

social progress. In our quest for peace, it is imperative to

address the economic and social challenges, which, too

often, are the fundamental causes of conflicts in many

regions.

The present world economic situation is very grim.

There has been a prolonged recession in the developed

countries which, in turn, has had a negative effect on the

world economic situation. This has been devastating for the

developing countries, which have had to labour in a harsh

international environment. The crippling external debt is one

of the major obstacles for developing countries. In Uganda,

for example, it is estimated that we shall spend about 60 per

cent of our projected export receipts on debt servicing. The

debt problem has been exacerbated by the unfavourable

terms of trade, especially the collapse of the prices of

commodities, which are the mainstay of our economies.

Coupled with the reduction of resource flows, this has

hampered our development. Yet, while still experiencing

these conditions, our countries have undertaken structural

adjustment reforms which call for heavy sacrifices on the

part of the population, especially the very vulnerable people.

For these programmes to achieve the desired objectives of

sustained growth, it is imperative that further measures on

debt relief, including debt cancellation, be put in place, more

so in respect of sub-Saharan African countries. There is also

an urgent need to increase significantly the volume of

resource flows in support of development efforts in these

countries. We look forward to the urgent and balanced

conclusion of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade

negotiations. We are hopeful that a successful conclusion of

these negotiations would increase world trade and increase

the access of our products to world markets. This should

help to increase our export earnings.

Regrettably, for Africa the critical economic situation

and the trend of marginalization continue. It is crucial to

arrest and reverse this trend if Africa is to succeed or even

survive in the geopolitical and economic system of the

twenty-first century. We need to enlarge our economic

space. Forging regional integration is an imperative if

Africa is to end its underdevelopment and to be integrated

into the global economy.

African integration will create economies of scale,

which are essential for the diversification of the African

economies, making full use of Africa’s natural resources,

increasing self-sufficiency and strengthening the continent’s

position within the global economy. It is precisely for this

reason that the Organization of African Unity adopted the

Abuja Treaty creating an African Economic Community.

The Treaty stipulates, inter alia, the strengthening of

subregional economic groupings. In this regard, the

countries of the Eastern and Southern Africa Preferential

Trade Area have resolved to establish a subregional common

market. A treaty to this effect will be signed in Kampala,

Uganda, on 4 November this year. We appeal to the

international community to be supportive of regional

integration by providing assistance to put in place the

necessary infrastructures.

The Rio Earth summit was an important milestone on

the road to forging a global consensus on sustainable

development. Uganda welcomes the adoption of Agenda 21,

which spelled out measures to be adopted by the

international community. As a follow-up, Uganda has drawn

up a National Environment Action Plan to address our

environmental problems. We welcome the establishment of

the Commission on Sustainable Development and of the

Negotiating Committee for an international convention on

drought and desertification, in line with the wishes of

African countries.

In spite of the progress made, we notice a reluctance on

the part of the donor community as regards fulfilling the

commitments agreed upon in Rio. This is especially true

with regard to providing new and additional resources. I

wish to stress that for us in Uganda the cause of

environmental degradation is poverty. Forests, for example,

are being depleted daily because the people use their trees as

a source of energy. To reverse this trend we need capital to

exploit hydro-electric power or solar energy, both of which

we have aplenty. We urge the international community to

appreciate this problem.

As regards reform of the United Nations, we maintain

our position that we shall support those measures which

34 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

improve efficiency and which do not distort the priorities

that have been agreed on, and which reflect the interests of

all Member States. We are also supportive of the proposals

for the enlargement of the Security Council to reflect

present-day realities. We reaffirm that an important criterion

to take into account is that a country, big or small, seeking

membership of the Security Council must fully embrace, and

be seen to act in accordance with, the underlying values of

the United Nations mandate for peace, respect for human

rights, democratization and other accepted international

norms. It is also important that the composition of all

United Nations organs accord with the principles of the

Charter, notably the principle of sovereign equality of

nations and the principle of democracy. It is with this in

mind that we shall examine all proposals for restructuring

that are before us.

We stand at a historic watershed on account of

contradictory trends which characterize the current transition

to a new world order yet to be shaped and defined. We

have, one hopes, a unique opportunity to construct a firm

foundation for the edifice of a future in which the interests

of all of us can be adequately catered for.